


Make Sure You're Not Too Late, Not Too Soon

by fluffier432



Series: Marvel Oneshots [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Broken windows, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Insomnia, Insomniac!Tony, Meeting, Nutella, Oneshot, Peter is not spiderman, Peter is star-struck, Strangers, Tony is Confused, Tony is Iron Man, Writing Prompt, assassin!Peter, exchanging information, head wounds, tony and peter don't know each other, yes this came from an otp writing prompt but i made it platonic so sue me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 16:49:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17687312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffier432/pseuds/fluffier432
Summary: A flick of the lightswitch revealed a small figure, dressed in all black, hunched over his kitchen floor, clutching a jar of Nutella and a teaspoon from Tony’s silverware drawer. The Nutella was not, however, from Tony’s cupboard. Tony didn’t eat Nutella.“I can explain,” the masked figure said, rising to his feet. Tony thought his voice sounded too childish to be breaking into people’s houses or whatever he was doing.Tony Stark was a lot of things; a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, and an insomniac. He picked up the paper and unfolded it. The writing was rushed but legible, and at the very top was a name.Peter Parker.Tony grinned.





	Make Sure You're Not Too Late, Not Too Soon

**Tony** Stark was a lot of things; a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, and an insomniac. It was the norm for his floorboards to creak in the middle of the night, weighted down when Tony got up to make himself tea. They groaned now, just like any other night, but Tony noticed rustling coming from the kitchen.

A flick of the lightswitch revealed a small figure, dressed in all black, hunched over his kitchen floor, clutching a jar of Nutella and a teaspoon from Tony’s silverware drawer. The Nutella was not, however, from Tony’s cupboard. Tony didn’t eat Nutella.

“I can explain,” the masked figure said, rising to his feet. Tony thought his voice sounded too childish to be breaking into people’s houses or whatever he was doing.

There was a tense moment where Tony challenged this kid’s ability to bullshit his way out of the situation, until the stranger sighed and set the jar on the counter.

“No, I can’t,” he admitted, huffing at the smirk Tony’s lips curled into.

“Didn’t think so. Could you at least tell me why you broke into my house in the middle of the night? I’ll just assume you have a Nutella addiction, no questions asked.”

“Yeah, I can do that, considering you’re, uh, you’re…” He faltered, and Tony’s ears autoplayed “You’re Iron Man”, but if never came. “You’re Mr. Stark,” the kid concluded shyly.

The stranger explained how he ended up in Mr. Stark’s kitchen, and how he didn’t  _ mean _ to break the window but it was necessary to get in, sir, wow it’s big in here, how much Nutella do you think would fit in those  _ cupboards _ ?

Tony eventually had to cut him off, having heard enough about the apparently intense chase that led to costly window damage and severe confusion on Tony’s part.

“So what you’re saying is, you need a place to crash?” Tony asked, but it came more like a statement.

“No, no, Mr. Stark! No, just...could I borrow your first aid kit?”

“Why? You don’t look hurt, kid.” Tony cocked his head to one side, scanning the stranger for injuries. When he found none, he met the kid’s eyes again, daring him to try and trick him again.

“Oh, yeah, of course…” the kid mumbled under his breath, gripping the top of his mask and sliding it off. He winced as the fabric pulled on the  _ gaping wound on the side of his head _ .

“Holy shit, kid, what the hell? Sit down! I’ll get the kit, just stay calm,” Tony yelled, shocked enough by the slight emergency he didn’t notice the clear  _ disinterest _ on the kid’s face.

“Mr. Stark,” he interrupted, “I’m very calm.  _ You’re _ freaking out.”

With a last flourish of his hands to dismiss the comment, Tony rounded the corner to grab the first aid and wondered why he was acting so... _ worried _ about the kid. It was something about the way his face seemed so  _ young _ and  _ innocent  _ that convinced him the kid needed his help.

Not that it looked like it very much when he returned, what with the kid rapidly texting on his phone, somehow looking casual with blood-matted hair.

“Say cheese!” He lifted his phone quickly, giving Tony no time to even smile as he snapped a photo.

“Hey! Who gave you the right, huh?” Tony reprimanded lightly, ruffling the kid’s hair (on the side that wasn’t injured, of course). “Now sit still; I’m going to clean your wound and bandage it, but if you wiggle around while I’m doing it, it’s gonna hurt worse than it already does.”

“Yes, sir,” the boy said under his breath, but Tony caught it and chuckled.

A few sharp gasps and gentle hushings later, the kid’s head was cleaned and dressed to the best of Tony’s ability (which was pretty good, if he did say so himself).

“Alright kiddo, you’re good to go,” Tony announced, clapping a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Awesome. I, uh, probably shoulda said this earlier, but...I don’t exactly have any money on me at the moment, but I could get back to--”

“Who said anything about payment? You think I charge five-year-olds for basic first aid?”

“Mr. Stark,” the kid protested, “I’m  _ fifteen _ , not  _ five _ .”

Tony’s eyes widened in surprise. “ _ Shoot _ , I thought you were at least seventeen or something! You’re telling me a  _ high schooler _ is going around, getting so banged up they break into a billionaire’s house for help?”

“Seventeen is still high school age. Just because  _ you _ graduated high school before you were a teenager--”

“Okay, enough! Is this a regular thing?” Tony inquired, gesturing at the bandages wrapped around the kid’s head. “Because if it is,  _ someone _ ,” he pointed his thumb at himself, “is gonna have a little issue with that.”

“No, this is...this definitely  _ not _ a normalcy, but I guess this isn’t the  _ worst _ that’s happened--” He cut himself off, obviously realizing he had slipped up and said something he shouldn’t have.

Tony rolled his eyes after he got over the initial shock of the statement. Grabbing a pen and scrap piece of paper from his pockets, he wrote down his personal number and handed it to the kid. “Here. You have potential, kid, I want to see you at your most. One thing,” he added quickly, hoping the kid was still listening from behind the star-struck expression on his face, “I’ll need you to give me a bit of info. Name, I guess I already know your age, address, that kind of stuff.”

“Uh, no problem? Are you sure, though? I mean, I’m not...I’m not much, I’m just an assassin, I wouldn’t really, uh, wouldn’t be a big help to the Avengers, would I?”

“I think Black Widow would take offense to that.”

“I don’t mean it like that! I just, I just meant,  _ I _ wouldn’t be a big help, I mean…” he gestured randomly with his hands in an attempt to fill the silence, “I’m not even a very  _ good _ assassin, y’know? I’ve only taken out twenty enemies this week, I--”

“Twenty? Damn, and you say you’re not good! Kid, I need you to join the Avengers,  _ now _ ,” Tony said seriously. This kid could be the most efficient part of the team just from that fact, scratch what Tony said earlier about “potential”.

The kid nodded silently, ripping the piece of paper with Tony’s number in half so he could write down his own information. Folding it in half, he put it down on the table before grabbing his bloodstained mask again.

“Here’s the info, everything you need to know about me is on there probably, please don’t stalk and murder me though. I have to get home before Aunt May wakes up for work, but text me whenever you want! See you, Mr. Stark!” And he flew out the shattered window in a hurry.

Tony picked up the paper and unfolded it. The writing was rushed but legible, and at the very top was a name.

_ Peter Parker _ .

Tony grinned.


End file.
